20 Grammar Rules (EnglishClub)

Here are 20 simple rules and tips to help you avoid mistakes in English grammar.
For more comprehensive rules please look under the appropriate topic (part of
speech etc) on our grammar and other pages.

1. A se nte nce starts with a capital le tte r and e nds with a pe riod/full stop,
a que stion mark or an e xclamation mark. see Punctuation

The fat cat sat on the mat.

Where do you live ?

My dog is very clever !

2. The orde r of a basic positiv e se nte nce is Subje ct-Ve rb-Obje ct.
(Ne gativ e and que stion se nte nce s may hav e a diffe re nt orde r.)

John loves Mary.

They were driving their car to Bangkok.

3. Ev e ry se nte nce must hav e a subje ct and a v e rb. An obje ct is optional.

Note that an impe rativ e se nte nce may hav e a v e rb only, but the subje ct
is unde rstood.

John teaches.

John teaches English.

Stop! (ie You stop!)

4. The subje ct and v e rb must agre e in numbe r, that is a singular subje ct

ne e ds a singular v e rb and a plural subje ct ne e ds a plural v e rb.

John works in London.

That monk eats once a day.

John and Mary work in London.

Most people eat three meals a day.

5. Whe n two singular subje cts are conne cte d by or, use a singular v e rb.
The same is true for either/or and neither/nor.

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 John or Mary is coming tonight.

Either coffee or tea is fine.

Neither John nor Mary was late.

6. Adje ctiv e s usually come be fore a noun (e xce pt whe n a v e rb

se parate s the adje ctiv e from the noun).

I have a big dog.

She married a handsome Italian man.

(Her husband is rich.)

7. Whe n using two or more adje ctiv e s toge the r, the usual orde r is
opinion-adje ctiv e + fact-adje ctiv e + noun. (The re are some additional
rule s for the orde r of fact adje ctiv e s.)

I saw a nice French table.

That was an interesting Shakespearian play.

8. Tre at colle ctiv e nouns (e g committe e , company, board of dire ctors) as

singular OR plural. In BrE a colle ctiv e noun is usually tre ate d as plural,
ne e ding a plural v e rb and pronoun. In AmE a colle ctiv e noun is ofte n
tre ate d as singular, ne e ding a singular v e rb and pronoun.

The committee are having sandwiches for lunch. Then they will go to
London. (typically BrE)

The BBC have changed their logo. (typically BrE)

My family likes going to the zoo. (typically AmE)

CNN has changed its logo. (typically AmE)

9. The words its and it's are two diffe re nt words with diffe re nt me anings.

The dog has hurt its leg.

He says it's two o'clock.

10. The words your and you're are two diffe re nt words with diffe re nt
me anings.

Here is your coffee.

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 You're looking good.

11. The words there, their and they're are thre e diffe re nt words with
diffe re nt me anings.

There was nobody at the party.

I saw their new car.

Do you think they're happy?

12. The contraction he's can me an he is OR he has. Similarly, she's can

me an she is OR she has, and it's can me an it is OR it has, and John's can
me an John is OR John has.

He is working

He has finished.

She is here.

She has left.

John is married.

John has divorced his wife.

13. The contraction he'd can me an he had OR he would. Similarly, they'd

can me an they had OR they would.

He had eaten when I arrived.

He would eat more if possible.

They had already finished.

They would come if they could.

14. Spe ll a prope r noun with an initial capital le tte r. A prope r noun is a
"name " of some thing, for e xample Jose f, M ary, Russia, China, British
Broadcasting Corporation, English.

We have written to Mary.

Is China in Asia?

Do you speak English?

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 15. Spe ll prope r adje ctiv e s with an initial capital le tte r. Prope r adje ctiv e s
are made from prope r nouns, for e xample Ge rmany → Ge rman, Orwe ll →
Orwe llian, M achiav e lli → M achiav e llian.

London is an English town.

Who is the Canadian prime minister?

Which is your favourite Shakespearian play?

16. Use the inde finite article a/an for countable nouns in ge ne ral. Use
the de finite article the for spe cific countable nouns and all uncountable
nouns.

I saw a bird and a balloon in the sky. The bird was blue and the balloon
was yellow.

He always saves some of the money that he earns.

17. Use the inde finite article a with words be ginning with a consonant
sound. Use the inde finite article an with words be ginning with a v owe l
sound. see When to Say a or an

a cat, a game of golf, a human endeavour, a Frenchman, a university (you-

ni-ver-si-ty)

an apple, an easy job, an interesting story, an old man, an umbella, an

honorable man (on-o-ra-ble)

18. Use many or few with countable nouns. Use much/a lot or little for
uncountable nouns. see Quantifiers

How many dollars do you have?

How much money do you have?

There are a few cars outside.

There is little traffic on the roads.

19. To show posse ssion (who is the owne r of some thing) use an
apostrophe + s for singular owne rs, and s + apostrophe for plural owne rs.

The boy's dog. (one boy)

The boys' dog. (two or more boys)

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 20. In ge ne ral, use the activ e v oice (Cats e at fish) in pre fe re nce to the
passiv e v oice (Fish are e ate n by cats).

We use active in preference to passive.

Active is used in preference to passive.

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